The default state of knowledge is UNKNOWN Therefore, when you realise what you thought you knew was false — you usually just return to that pitiful state of NOT knowing Sometimes you at least learn what is NOT But often you don’t even know that Often the only thing you learned is that you: …
Modest In Understanding, Cautious In Action, Yet Utterly Arrogant In Speech
-your relation to most things is that “YOU DON’T KNOW” -and you know that you don’t know — because you could test it -you could test your understanding by making predictions -you could BET on your predictions -but you don’t. You know you’d lose Every action you take is a bet on certain state …
Conflicting Desires Have You End Up Empty Handed
We have conflicting desires We’re not aware of that conflict As a result, we reconcile them sloppily examples: We may convince ourselves we don’t really want something. We may reject something because it’s “not good enough”. We may even resent something, if we can’t have it. Of course if such is our reconciliation …
United by Shared Vices
We’re not only joined by values and virtues, my friend VICES can also UNITE us Like attracts like, doesn’t it? That would be one mechanism But why would you be attracted to something ugly? Well, you wouldn’t be repelled if it wasn’t a net negative to you. We tend to be attracted by …
Is There Ever Place for Personal Insults?
Objective reality is independent of people Or, at very least, when you’re engaging someone — you’re by definition now attempting to engage in something that is objective Because if it’s subjective — then how can you meet on a shared understanding and shared plan? If you think the ball must be put in a basket, …
Creation Transcends The Creator, And They Share VERY LITTLE
Beauty, ideals, virtue, art, creation — transcend the artist, the creator, the artisan and the engineer, the philosopher, the object Not merely as an idealised ideal, which we can’t touch Of course the ideal is our vision, then we merely strive to get closer to it, but can never reach it The former is …
Society Is Tribal, But Not Tractable
Society is tribal: -Learns mimetically -Optimises for consensus -Has instilled biases in favour of one’s group -etc But it’s also not a motionless solid, that once wrought a certain way, stays that way Nor one that is easily shaped and manipulated from outside, while having no volition or behaviour of it’s own What …
Opportunism vs Values: Relationships, Society
There’s the direct benefit we derive from a relationship — and indirect a bit like kinetic energy vs potential -direct benefit, kinetic energy, could be things you build together, boons you are able to provide for each other, etc. -indirect benefits, potential energy, are things you may build together, boons you may be able to …
The Netflix Generation And Their Inspired Morality
Almost exactly 5 years ago I lamented about pop-morality It was essentially a call for: -not making morality a fashion accessory -starting to take seriously morality by first quietly doing the right thing in one’s own life, rather than running one’s mouth about it and parading it to the world, like a fashion accessory indeed …
Engineer Your Models Of Reality, Or Stay Stupid
If you ever studied anything complex — you know it is necessary to gradually develop one’s understanding complex like physics, math, respectable chess ranking, Even less complex subjects you don’t learn overnight, like driving a car Why would your own ideas be any different? Ideas and opinions and views Why would they magically develop …